Baby Favorites and Essentials, 0-6M+
I touched on this in Things I found helpful postpartum and as a new mom, but when I was expecting, I found this type of information both fascinating and stressful. Everyone’s journey and experience is so incredibly different and “favorites” and “must haves” will look different for everyone. You’ll learn your own needs and ways (truly) but if you’re in a state of curiosity or are just looking for extra insight, guidance or a place to start for your baby registry—this is for you!
I’m sharing an assortment of things we used and loved for newborn life (and beyond). Our 0-6M+ baby essentials, if you will. I’ll also touch a little on things we bought and didn’t use/need right away. To be honest, you really don’t need much!
WEAR
A few notes on clothing. Mila was 8lbs 9.9oz and 21”. Newborn sizing will often say “up to 8lbs” but Mila was still in NB for a while even after she regained her birth weight. They are just soo tiny! I bought lots of footies, as well as bodysuits/leggings/sets and Mila mostly lived in sleeper onesies. After all, they sleep A LOT and need to be changed A LOT. I personally just found them so much easier than separates and dealing with bodysuits (which I stocked up on and barely used) but she was also a fall/winter newborn, so perhaps something to consider!
Our current favorites are by O2Baby Organics. I made a desperate Amazon purchase while we were in need of extras and was so pleasantly surprised. I love how they don’t shrink up like crazy (as many do) and the proportions are also *just right.*
She also wore/wears Pehr, Hanna Anderson, Colored Organics and Goumi. These have much cuter prints but the O2Baby are just 🙌🏼 (chef’s kiss) for price-fit-quality.
SLEEP
Swaddles: We tried several and loved these SwaddleMe Pods most. They’re easy, have a double zip for seamless diaper changes and they just worked well for us. We used a transition swaddle around 3months before moving to the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit, which was also amazing for us. Once Mila started rolling during sleep we transitioned to the Merlin Dream Sleep Sack, which is what we use currently.
We initially used the Babybjorn Cradle as our bassinet. I chose it partially due to size for our small space but I also love the minimal design and how it gently “rocks” by pressing the legs. (You can use your foot to rock.) One thing to note is that it’s pretty low. About a month in, we began using the Uppababy Bassinet from our stroller for Mila’s sleep. You can purchase a separate stand or use it with the stroller. We have the Uppababy Cruz, btw.
In her nursery, we have the Liberty 3-in-1 Convertible Spindle Crib with the Newton Crib Mattress and Organic Cotton Breathable Sheets and love them.
FEED
Note: We obviously didn’t know what our feeding journey would be, so we tried to be prepared for anything. Mila is breastfed, though we did have a moment where we used a bottle for some feeds. Of course, everyone’s feeding journey and desires are unique but these are things we found essential (or not essential).
We used the SnuggleMe Organic Feeding Pillow.
We bought the Willow Go pump, which I only used a handful of times. I swore by the Haakaa Manual Breast Pump and Dr. Brown’s silicone pump. I’m so glad we had several!
If you’re breastfeeding or pumping, you’ll want milk storage bags. We used this digital bottle warmer and Dr. Brown’s anti-colic bottles.
We loved these muslin burp cloths and bibs—stock up on those!
When Mila was ready to start solids we went with the ErgoBaby Evolve High Chair with Lalo feeding accessories.
Diapering
We used water wipes at first and now use Millie Moon wipes. We initially used the same diapers the hospital used and now use Coterie.
We have (and love) the Keekaroo changing pad.
We use the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail.
One thing we didn’t purchase initially but immediately added by day 3 was a wipe warmer. We have the Munchkin Wipe Warmer.
LOUNGE
We have the SnuggleMe Organic Infant lounger and love it but honestly didn’t use it until Mila was maybe a month old. We just didn’t really have a use for it right away. She was held, carried, sleeping, etc.
Same with the Babybjorn Bouncer. We didn’t personally use it at first but it became so necessary and we now still use it almost daily. Mila sits in it while I shower. :)
We impulse-purchased a swing a few weeks in and she didn’t really like it!
We used the Ergobaby Embrace Carrier for the first several months and now use one by Sakura Bloom. We love both! I will say, when we first tried the new one by Sakura Bloom my thought was that it would have been more difficult to use with a very new newborn. Though to be honest, I think that’s just a muscle memory thing!
Play
We almost exclusively use toys from Lovevery Play Kits, which we love. I love how everything is perfectly appropriate for each stage and there’s not a lot of excess—just the things baby will be intrigued by at that particular age and will benefit their development. At 8 months, we still use/play with things from every kit!
PERSONAL CARE
We used The First Years Folding Bather up to about 3 months (I think) and then switched to the LALO tub. The LALO can also be used for newborns but I read reviews about it not feeling supportive and definitely found the folding tub worked well for us.
The Fridababy Electric NoseFrida has been such a must for us. Mila actually loves it, it’s pretty funny.
We have this electric nail file set. Not necessary for the first few weeks when their nails are so thin but will be essential.
For lotion, bathing, etc., we LOVE Mustela. We use Mustela Gentle Cleansing Gel and Mustela Hydra Bebe Lotion. We’ve used several diaper products and Mustela has been our favorite. We love the Liniment.
Will add back anything else I can think of and always happy to answer any questions!